Magic
Though Imbar is relatively technologically backward its people enjoy a quality of life that is largely equal to, and in some cases surpassing that of humans on Earth, this is due largely to their mastery of the formulaic manipulation of inter-dimensional light which they call magic. Arcane Mechanics Arcane Mechanics is a field of study dealing with what makes magic work, knowledge of arcane mechanics and theory has steadily dwindled since the middle of the Fourth Age When a vast majority of the tablets containing the Dharmasattva were lost. The basic principle of arcane mechanics deals with the structure of light, the raw energy that powers magic. The Anwar taught that light, being dimensionless, exists in all planes, occurring in discreet particles called Ram. These particles take up no space and don't conform to perceptible time, rather they are a properly basic constituent of all existence. Even the material which seems to us solid and physical, distinct from say, the radiant energy of an Anwar, began its existence in the misty and unremembered reaches of the past as pure light. The second principle of Arcane mechanics is multi-dimensional geometry; four, five, and even six dimensional geometry are taught to children alongside traditional two and three dimensional shapes. This becomes the basis of their magical education. Children typically learn their first spells around the age of two or three, these simple spells, called cantryps, only require the natural light present in the caster which is why they are accessible to children and untrained casters. More complex spells, called high magic by most circles of arcanists, require vastly more energy which must be drawn from extra-dimensional space which exponentially increases the energy available. This energy must be drawn through the translucent properties of multidimensional shapes created out of the caster's light, these shapes are visible in three dimensions as two and three dimensional formulae which usually take the shape of circles called mandala. Arcane Theory Once the Anwar taught humans to use their light as a natural extension of their bodies, they left these secrets behind in a book of 100 golden tablets called the Dharmasattva, however, these tablets were lost during the Second Crusade and knowledge of high magic was slowly lost over the intervening years. Now arcanists wanting to wield the eldritch energies of the higher planes must engage in speculation and experimentation to reclaim this lost knowledge, this research has led, not only to lost magics being rediscovered, but to new magics which, although they would be of little use to a being of pure light like an Anwar, proved to be a boon to material beings. Arcane Theory didn't only come about due to the loss of the Dharmasattva, even before the Anwar departed there were people who pioneered the use of light in ways the Nine never imagined. One of the first was Kaiji Touho in 2e66, considered the father of the sphere of Heiromancy he pioneered the use of magic to heal wounds of the flesh, vastly increasing the human lifespan. The Citadel of Magi The Citadel of Magi was built in the First Age but restored from a near ruined state and remade into a convent for the edification of casters in the midst of the Third Age. The Guild of Wonders in Sarnath teaches magic but only in a very specific practical context and only to those whose abilities are above a standard level determined by the Guildmasters. The Citadel, however, is open to all who are willing to live at the tower which is located in the heart of the Deepwood, far from other towns and villages. They teach not only practical methodology, but also academic theory, not only the spells and how to cast them, but the functional components of spells and how and why they work. They are consequently among the forefront of arcane theorists driving forward the development and evolution of magic. The Esoteric Order of Librarians A secretive order of ascetics and scholars who have made it their life's goal to gather and protect all the knowledge in the world. They live and operate in the great pyramid of Zam in Llarnek, which contains the scrolls and tomes copied by their scribes, which they are, under certain circumstances, willing to let the unitiated read and sometimes borrow, provided they submit to lengthy and invasive measures to ensure the material is returned. Of course, their search for knowledge does not stop only at collecting the works masters have already written, but also engaging in and funding research. The Etsidirak and the Thetarak are orders of Librarians who contribute to the Vaults of Zam both by exploring ancient ruins in the search for lost knowledge, and by researching new magics using the vast resources of the Order at their disposal. The Mystery of Mannah At the height of the Samsarran kingdoms the city of Irem, under the order of the Veiled King, formed the Mystery of Mannah to further their understanding of light and its uses. Now in the kingdoms' decline, the Mystery's efforts have been refocused to develop ways to ease the stress on the city from the influx of refugees. Nevertheless they have made great strides in the development of domestic and agrarian applications of magic. The Grand Guild of the Owl Elam is famous for it's Grand Guilds, the Guild of the Owl contributes to the governance of the many and varied city states that together make up the nation of Elam by policing and writing the magical law of the land. Its enforcement arm is known as the Tribunal of Owls and its agents as Talons. However it also performs another important duty which is to collect and catalogue the rural and hereditary magics of the people of Elam and beyond. The Grand Guild of the Owl works closely with the Grand Guild of the Ouroboros and the Grand Guild of the Lion which provides oversight to alchemists and healers respectively. All other schools of magic, however, fall under the purview of the Guild of the Owl. The Elemental Spheres In the Third Age the Crimson Sutra, the Azure Sutra, the Viridian Sutra, and the White Sutra, the four of the one hundred tablets that contained the wisdom passed down by the Nine in the Dharmasattva, that describe the four primal laws, were summarized by the Magi into the presiding laws of the elemental spheres which form the basis of all magic. Pyromancy The Principle of Innervation "The concentration of light from higher spatial planes to lower spatial planes." Fire has been known on Imbar since it formed from cosmic dust, but the elemental principle of fire is, in essence, the concentration of energy from higher to lower planes, borrowing light and drawing it down to manifest as high magic. This fundamental process was first described in the Crimson Sutra, which describes the process in great detail, and reduced to it's most universal component which is the basis by which light can be drawn in and condensed creating corporeal manifestations. As with all elemental magics, light naturally coalesces into paradigms based on these universal principles. Colloquially these beings of pure light are called "spirits" though this is a broad term that refers to a wide range of entities, some are barely sentient and largely impotent, and others are far wiser and more powerful than men and even the sanguine elves. Some minor spirits associated with fire are: imps, ignis fatuus, djinn, akadashi, Ulurim's lights, grak, salamanders, nyd, ''and ''ash braals Some major spirits associated with the element of fire are: Sanirava, Takua, Heilog, Nidrum, Ako-o, Eraptis, Ramum, Zhuo La Teon Aeromancy The Principle of Transducivity "The translation of light between any two points is inversely proportional to the relationship between the intervening distances and densities." Geomancy The Principle of Diffusion "Light in material form returns to the ambient light proportional to the material lost and diffuses over time." Hydromancy The Principle of Ennervation "The structure of light in any plane decreases over time, moving only from greater to lesser concentrations." The Arcane Spheres Heiromancy The Sphere of Restoration Alchemy The Sphere of Transmutation Thaumaturgy The Sphere of Relativity Polemachy The Sphere of Martialism Tachomachy The Sphere of Kinesiology '' Chaometry ''The Sphere of Correspondence Hypnotics The Sphere of Mentalism Cryptometry The Sphere of Inculcation Naturalism The Sphere of Biology Psychometry The Sphere of Philosophy Magic Through the Ages